SobaAddict70

so who wants to go next? Beans? Maggie? Dave? Bergerka? Thanks, Sam, for giving us a window into your world. May you and your ferrets dine happily ever after. Next victim...er, blogger! Soba

NYTimes Dining In/Dining Out Section Global Fish, Local Fish (Florence Fabricant) A Grape For All Seasons (Eric Asimov) Vegan Ghostbusters (Alex Wichtel) Chinese Inspiration, British Execution (Nigella Lawson) If Only It Weren't For The Service -- Shortcomings at San Domenico (William Grimes) Caracas Arepa Bar (Eric Asimov) Bits and Pieces: Lemon Cucumbers, Soda Seltzer, Beer Holders, Openings and Closings, Food As Art (Florence Fabricant) $300 Melons in Tokyo (Joe Sharkey) The Minimalist (Mark Bittman) Best NY Wine of 2003 (Howard G. Goldberg) Pairings (Amanda Hesser) Recipe: Tomato and Bread Soup Letters Correction Recipes in today's section: 1. Pineapple and Molasses Spareribs 2. Ginger Semifreddo 3. Weakfish Grilled Over Basil 4. Blackfish Stewed With Corn 5. Flounder in Saor 6. Skewered Chicken Thighs in Peanut Sauce Enjoy, Soba ----------- PS. Nonstop work today, so sorry for the late appearance of today's Digest.

oh god Kristin. I don't know whether to laugh or cry... Soba

Very easy. I just don't. Never mind that modern TV is about as interesting (to me) as watching grass grow. That's another topic for another board though... Soba

So maybe organizing the pantry is a first step, because once you have everything down pat, then it'll be hard to go wrong in that direction. (Sounds like a project. Wish I could help.) Soba

Ice cream in most any form. Haagen-Dasz and Godiva ice creams are two of my favorite brands. Soba

Several items: Congee with white pepper, minced scallions, sesame oil. Really simple when all it is is rice, water, a pinch of salt and those three ingredients. Pasta with chopped tomatoes, herbed fried bread crumbs, minced Italian parsley, EVOO, salt and pepper. Take out the bread crumbs and its even simpler. Ripe tomatoes are best (but then I'm preaching to the choir. ) Bread crumbs are basically crumbs from a slightly stale loaf of Italian bread, minced garlic, 1 oil packed anchovy fillet, minced Italian parsley and EVOO. (Make crumbs, brown garlic in EVOO, add anchovy; mash anchovy till it disintegrates, add crumbs, stir to coat but do not let crumbs absorb oil, add parsley; fry for 30 seconds, and remove from heat. Makes a great substitute for those times when adding cheese would be a good idea.) Pasta with garlic, EVOO and herbs. Try this with garlic chives in place of the garlic. Chinese fried rice, the way my mom makes it: leftover rice, peanut oil, minced garlic, minced scallions. Maybe on occasion, slivered Chinese sausage. The steamed oysters at Oriental Garden (remember those, Jason?): oysters topped with black bean sauce, minced scallions and ginger. Well made miso shiru. This can be absolutely divine when made properly. Clean, pristine balance of flavors. Hiyyayako tofu. Cubes of silken tofu, topped with slivered or minced scallions, bonito flakes and/or grated daikon radish. I once made a version that subbed bits of bottarga for the bonito. I could go on and on... Soba

A few tips: 1. Make a list of everything that you have in stock, and a list of everything that needs to be bought. This way you can't go wrong in at least one respect -- getting the ingredients you need to ensure that what you're preparing doesn't get lost in the shuffle because someone forgot to get the garlic (or whatever). 2. Prepare, subject to your time availability and keeping in mind the freshness factor, as much as possible in advance. This way, you won't screw up due to time constraints because you will have things on hand at your fingertips whenever you need them. 3. I would imagine Mr. Hjshorter can lend a hand as far as #1 or #2 is concerned, if things are in a pinch. And then, there is always takeout. I frequently do (menu planning at home, that is), but then again, I'm single with no dependents and too much time on my hands...when I'm not working. Soba

My roommate has his TV turned on to NBC and I happened to walk into the living room just now. I can't believe the amount of whining that goes on on this show. (And this is just from a 10 minute glimpse, folks, me having never seen it at all.) And you guys managed to watch an entire hour, over several episodes? You're all made of sterner stuff than I am. Soba

I think Fusha must be losing money on some of their selections. For instance, they offer a toro scallion maki roll for $7. Now, there might be different kinds of toro, but where I usually have it, expect to pay at least $10 or $15 for a piece of toro sashimi or sushi. Getting back to their chirashe-zushi, it was a pretty large container. The radish pickles were carved into the shape of roses, the wasabi was a small-ish ball of paste, and we're talking at most, one or two slices of fish. Generous serving of ikura. And this was had for less than $16, which is damn good for the amount of fish at that price. Soba

Does it matter if, for the purposes of making a mirepoix, if the veggies are all cut the same size? Just wondering. Soba

For the uninitiated, chirashi sushi is usually a mix of raw fish on a bed of seasoned rice. Tonight's dinner is chirashi sushi from a pan-Asian restaurant in midtown Manhattan called Fusha. I've had lots of chirashi from other places, but I think Fusha's version is one of the definitive versions. Most chirashi ranges from a boring mix of fish to mediocre selections -- tuna, salmon, yellowtail, octopus and mackerel being the mainstays. Fusha's selection included all of the above, along with striped bass, tamago omelet, unagi, salmon skin, ikura, shrimp, spanish mackerel, squid, fluke, nori tempura, radish pickles, lemon slices and toasted sesame seeds, along with the obligatory wasabi and pickled ginger. Had any lately? What's in your favorite? Soba

DIGEST: NYTimes Weekend Report Mexican cuisine for the new century at Sueños (William Grimes) Sidebar: Mexican Margaritas Destination: Rio's Riviera (Susan Stellin) Figs in Season (Julia Reed) Recipes: 1. Fig and Almond Tart 2. Fig Relish 3. Judy Reed's Fig Preserves Have a good week folks, Soba

There's nothing stopping anyone from making their own tomato paste. Of course, of course. Soba

Dinner at Otto last night with pim and myself. This was my first time at Otto, btw. It's threatening to become my last. First impressions: the waitstaff was a bit pushy -- it seemed as if they wanted to turn our table quickly. Several times our waiter would happen by and interrupt our conversation without missing a beat. I wanted to say something at the time, but thought better of it. The acoustics are atrocious. I felt wrapped around in a wall of sound -- it was a miracle that we managed to be able to hear each other. Sound level is one of my biggest pet peeves. If I can't comfortably talk to my partner(s) without having to raise my voice to rise over the background noise, then it'll be quite some time before the restaurant sees my patronage again, if ever. On that note, the food had better rise to the occasion to improve things. Unfortunately, it only comes halfway. For appetizers, we had testa (headcheese), and eggplant caponata, anchovies with breadcrumbs and mint, mussels with roasted peppers and caramelized onions, roasted cauliflower with olives and capers. Bread and breadsticks were also served prior to the appetizers arriving. Where does the bread come from? I'm not sure of its pedigree, but it was a bit...burnt. No butter or other fat, not even a dish of EVOO was provided. The anchovies were too acidic to eat more than a couple of bites. I'd rank in order of preference, the eggplant, the cauliflower, followed by the mussels and the anchovies last. In particular, the caponata was a nice balance of sweet, sour and piquant. The testa was a wonderful plate of luscious fattiness that left me craving more. *sigh* Pim ordered a pizza margherita and I had the fennel with bottarga and taleggio cheese. I sort of wish I had gone a more traditional route as I felt the "otto" style pizza seemed a bit too busy on the plate, tastewise. Or perhaps it was because I was approaching my limit, having indulged in the appetizers a bit much. Or perhaps it was due to having lowered expectations from reading this thread. I will give Mario credit for at least having a crust that has some modicum of taste. Dessert was a split between a cantaloupe sorbet and a lemon parfait of lemon curd, lemon meringue, whipped cream, limoncello and lemon granita. (The lemon parfait was a dessert special, along with a lemon and limoncello granita.) The lemon parfait was outstanding in particular, having a layering of flavors that hit you from different angles -- first sweetness, followed by an intense tang, then creaminess from the whipped cream, then a slightly bitter-intense sourness from the limoncello and the lemon granita. As others have said, Otto deserves high marks for the appetizers and desserts. However, I won't be back for some time to come (if ever) due to the problems noted above. It's no fun to eat out and watch the clock at the same time. Soba

now, I otoh don't get EGG SALAD with pickle relish. And that's da shiznitz, folks. Soba

that's because y'all are talking about commercially produced crap peanut butter like Skippy and Jiffy peanut butters. Those peanut butters ARE too sweet because they have sugar as one of their listed ingredients. OTOH, a peanut butter like Smucker's All Natural, or even a peanut butter from a health food store or one that you could make yourself doesn't or wouldn't have any sugar, and would therefore solve the sweetness problem. Me, I like pb&j using other types of jellies, jams and preserves than grape. So for me, its pb&J with pineapple-ginger marmalade, or pumpkin-walnut butter, or lime marmalade, or apple-cranberry jelly. Makes for a more interesting sandwich, eh? And then, there is pbB&f (peanut butter, bananas and fluff) sandwiches. Or pb, banana and melted Cheddar cheese sandwiches. YUM! Soba

penne with roasted cauliflower, garlic, chopped Italian parsley, cracked black pepper and EVOO, topped with fried breadcrumbs Evian pound cake topped with roasted bananas, slightly sweetened Earl Grey-infused whipped cream, and chopped walnuts. (Need to tweak the recipe more. Maybe add roasted pineapple instead, and use a different flavoring agent for the cream. Maybe use creme fraiche instead. A little acid needed.) Soba

Anything with Mrs. Dash. Broiled boneless skinless chicken breasts. Big Macs. Soba

Ok Sam, you're next. (We've already heard from Varmint on the official "not quite ready for prime time eGullet Diet" thread.) Impress us, why don't you? Soba

Sure, either way is cool with me. (The tag idea is cooler imo.) Soba

Yankee Southern Food At Ida Mae Kitchen-N-Lounge (William Grimes) Midwestern Tables and Cherry Country (R.W. Apple, Jr.) Notoriously Trendy Salad Greens (Julia Moskin) Surgeon's General Warning: This Farmed Salmon Could Potentially Kill You (Marian Burros) The Chef: Chris Schlesinger (Sam Sifton) A Menage A Trois of Fruit Soups At Atelier (Diane Weintraub Pohl) Wine Talk (Frank J. Prial) The Minimalist (Mark Bittman) Bits and Pieces: Calamata-Feta Mustard, Morimoto Soba Ale, Three-Course Cocktails, Bamboo Rice, and Focaccia Col Formaggio (Florence Fabricant) A Good Excuse to Visit Chelsea Market: Green Table (Eric Asimov) Off the Menu: ChikaLicious, New Openings, and Hue (pronounced "whey") (Florence Fabricant) Recipes: 1. Grilled Bluefish With Chourico and Clams 2. Pasta With Mint and Parmesan A bit short on the recipes, eh? Soba

I haven't seen a single minute of Rocco's and I doubt I ever will. Besides, why bother when I can live vicariously through this thread? This thread is way more interesting than Fear Factor: The Restaurant. Soba

the first thing I thought when I saw this topic was "good god, cheesecake fried in a deep fat fryer full of oil used to deep fry fish cakes' lord knows why I thought that but it seemed like another case of deep fried snickers bars gone awry. thank goodness the reality has no bearing whatsoever on the fantasy. Soba

Ditto. I was in a similar situation to what you and Hobbes experienced except that I'm a career paralegal. When I began, I was overwhelmed to the point where I questioned my ability to perform on a competent basis. Thankfully things have gotten easier over time. Have faith in yourself, do what you want to do but also keep in mind that you need to do what needs to be done. The rest will come in time. Cheers, Soba